If your office is anything like mine, and especially if you have a frequently visited website, you're probably being deluged by messages from the SoBig vi*rus.
I know that I'm getting hundreds of related messages per day. Let's hope it really dies on Sept 10.
I hope that we've all learned a couple of major messages from this.
1. Vi*rus protection programs are an absolute must. If you don't have one, your computer is literally a menace to society just waiting to happen. And make sure you update yours frequently. Mine does it automatically every night.
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2. You've heard it a million times, but somebody obviously keeps doing it. Don't open attachments unless they've been vir*us scanned first! This includes attachments from friends, because that's where you'll get most of your virii from! Better yet, don't open them at all.
Now for the PR-related twist on this story
3. Are you still sending out press releases as attachments? I hope this is another piece of evidence why that is an absolute killer to the probability of your getting it run. Just say no and put them into the body of your email.
4. Did you call the media yet? Every paper and newscast in the US (probably the world) has probably run a story on this vi*rus in the last week. Every one of them looked for a local angle to the story. You were that local angle! I hope that you didn't miss out on this opportunity.
So next time (and there will be a next time) the huge vir*us hits, jump on the phone to let the media know that you're receiving x notes and how it is affecting you.
But how do you get your message across? This isn't the story to push your product.
But here's a hint to make sure that they mention you. Don't give them your company name, give them your website address as your company name. So, they'll report that Jamie Doe of yourcompanyname.com reports that they've received and blocked 1296 copies of the vi*rus so far today. See the little twist - you've just told the audience to go to that website for more information.
Just a hint!
Posted June 24, 2004
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